Showing posts with label backyard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backyard. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

the sneaky shed gets a hat


Can you see the big smile on Saint Mikes dial?  Think this shot was taken at about 3pm Sunday arvo.  He'd been working since early in the morning getting his colorbond 'hat' on KATcapers sneaky shed. 

I love this shot.  How happy does my husband look!  Just quietly, I think he looks dead sexy with that happy smile on.  So nice to see him happy and not stressed, worried, burdened (fact of life for a bloke trying to keep his family afloat in aspirational Sydney).


The sneaky shed is proving as useful as hours of talking with my lovely psychologist does for me.  I know it will have to end eventually but each stage of the building process is such a treat to behold.

For some of the day I sat outside in one of the Muskoka chairs (some people call them Adirondacks) and just admired my husband at work.  One-armed labouring isn't much in demand at the moment:)

The insulation was a fairly straightforward affair, the fascia was a bit trickier...he won't be leaving his day job for a future as a roofing contractor (that's his assessment, not mine).



PK (SM's trusty compatriot and our neighbor) was back on the tools to assist.  Saint Mike has managed to find the one thing that he is just as much a novice at.  He freely admits that he'd never worked with Colorbond either. 

They are both such calm souls they just toiled away together for the entire day making it work. 

Cups of tea and cheese toasties kept their energy up (thanks to PK's wife who kept up that end of things...told you they're special neighbors!!!).


Check out that frame!  If I wasn't a one-armed invalid and currently had the libido of a hibernating grizzly bear I'd be jumping his bones and christening the sneaky shed (oh oh, oversharing!!!!)

Now that the sneaky shed has its jaunty hat in place, it's in need of that exterior cladding.  That will be a job for this weekend if the materials arrive as scheduled.


I can confidently say that the sliding door is never going to grow on me.  Hence I insisted that it be installed so that I cannot see it from the house...and I plan to whip some funky curtains up to make it slightly less dodgy looking. 

It did make sense to re-use it and it does provide a lovely outlook towards our Norfolk pine.  You can get a sense of the size of the space from these two shots I think...it's more summerhouse than shed just quietly!


So there you have it, the House of KATcapers crash course in construction continues. 

I can't get the grunting soundtrack to "Home Improvement" with Tim Allen out of my head as it so suits the tone of the sneaky shed...manly men making manly mess:))  Love it!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sneaky Shed Update


Well the sneaky shed now has a frame! 

Saint Mike is now an expert in building timber frames.  He's even acquired a tool belt.

We were already aware that we are blessed in the neighbor department - we're surrounded by legends.  It just so happens that our neighbor PK is a legend in the handyman department and has kindly been acting as mentor for SM ensuring that the nail gun is pointed in the right direction.  So far the mantra "measure twice, cut once" has been paying dividends.

There is an opening for a lovely double hung sash window (on order) and in the interests of reduce/re-use/recycle SM has used our old sliding door which used to act as our front door pre-reno.

The sneaky shed is going to have a rakishly perched hat...a skillion roof (raked from front to back) to allow in lots of light.  The new colorbond roofing in Woodland Grey is now sitting ready for installation this weekend (if weather permits.  We have perused more YouTube videos to prepare for the 'roofing' phase and things are looking pretty do-able according to SM.

Skillion/Raked roof will look something like this
Image from here
 The back wall of the shed (her bottom) has also begun to be clad in cement sheeting...after deliberations re the degree of difficulty of putting up cladding, I suggested we go for more of a beach shack aesthetic and go with the Hardie-Board with timber batten approach.  I think this will give the sneaky shed a nice retro look (which we know I'm a huge fan of).

Image from here

This beauty (remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder) is a true retro shack with the sort of fibro look that I hope we can imitate.  It's down at Bundeena and thankfully has been protected, won't be bulldozed in favour of some tragic concrete beach McMansion.  I'm sure it's stinking hot in Summer and frigid in Winter though:)


Image from here
Our sneaky shed will be insulated (roof and walls).  Next job is to investigate a rainwater tank to get plumbed in...hang on, that's another thing to research on YouTube!  Surely SM is up for a bit of plumbing?

I also like the awnings over the windows of this shack - shouldn't be too tough to knock up should it SM???

So there you go.  Next week, expect to see the sneaky shed with her hat on and a demurely covered derriere.  

Thanks for all your lovely comments re my injured wing and my trip to Melbourne...will post an update later this week on how that's travelling:)






Monday, July 23, 2012

a sneaky shed




Saint mike is building a sneaky new shed....I'm hoping it will be less "shed" more "retreat" as per the above image!

A few weeks ago if anone had used the word 'building' in the context of my chartered accountant/white-collar/business consultant husband I would have quietly chuckled.

It's not that he's not capable it's just that it's never been his thing...the whole 'DIY dad' caper. 

Something has changed though.

He got it into his head that he would have a go at building a new shed since we had asked the builder to demolish the old absbestos-filled one that was cramped, spider-infested and leaky.

We'd toyed with one of those ugly metal ones but he agreed that it wasn't very inspiring.

After watching a bunch of youtube video's he decided to have a crack at it....so every spare moment (when he hasn't been nursing his clumsy wife) he's been building.


He worked out how to put footers in and build his bearers and joists



He's installed the floor...and at that stage I advised that with three girls at the very least he's built them a dream stage!


The KATs are loving helping daddy out and unlike my recollection of my dads DIY projects there's NO swearing, cursing or tools thrown in frustration! 

Like everything SM undertakes it is conducted in a calm, controlled and anxiety-free zone!!

This weekend whilst I guzzled panadeine forte at appropiate intervals he continued to work on it and we ow have stud frame walls and ceiling joists!

Our very lovely neighbor is acting as mentor and snazzy tool provider and they make a great team:)

The structure is bigger than the old shed (sssssshhhhh) and will act as shed (tool storage/workbench at one end) and spare room/retreat at the other end. 

He has re-used the old sliding door for it and there will be a deck/porch for the muskoka chairs


It's going to have cement sheeting with timber battens to match the gables on the house.  It will look like it's been there for years.

It will have a raked ceiling like this one and we will install a rainwater tank to catch the storm-water...

I'm so proud of him...can't wait to show you updates!!
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